Vista licence - number of processors?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Brian Wescombe
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Brian Wescombe

Does a dual-core processor count as one or two processors for the Vista
Premium licence? Or would dual-core machines require Vista Ultimate?
 
Brian said:
Does a dual-core processor count as one or two processors for the Vista
Premium licence? Or would dual-core machines require Vista Ultimate?
Click to expand...
as one.

Only two real processors count as two processors.
 
Brian Wescombe said:
Does a dual-core processor count as one or two processors for the
Vista Premium licence? Or would dual-core machines require Vista
Ultimate?
Click to expand...

Best way is to think of it is the number of sockets on the mother
board.
The current licensing is on per CPU package basis - as in the thing
that plugs into the CPU socket on the motherboard.
The number of cores as relevant for dual and quad core packages or
pseudo processors as relevant for the hyper threading CPUs are not
counted. So if you are purchasing an OS licensed for "two CPUs" you
are currently licensed for 2 sockets, irrespective of what is in them
in terms of internal cores or functionality of the CPU.
 
Thanks!

Mike Brannigan said:
Best way is to think of it is the number of sockets on the mother board.
The current licensing is on per CPU package basis - as in the thing that
plugs into the CPU socket on the motherboard.
The number of cores as relevant for dual and quad core packages or pseudo
processors as relevant for the hyper threading CPUs are not counted. So
if you are purchasing an OS licensed for "two CPUs" you are currently
licensed for 2 sockets, irrespective of what is in them in terms of
internal cores or functionality of the CPU.
Click to expand...
 
I know what you mean, but the wording is poor. The dual cores in a dual
core CPU are "real".
 
Microsoft counts only a PHYSICAL processor as a processor, doesn't matter
how many cores or hyper-threads it has.

So technically, you could run two quad cores in Vista Ultimate without
issue.



Bill F.
 
Perhaps an easier way to explain this is to replace the word; "CPU," in
Microsoft's licensing with; "Socket."

A 2-CPU license refers to two sockets, irrespective of the amount of cores,
Hyperthreading included.
 
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